Headaches are very common but they are definitely NOT normal. Did you know that only 3-4 headaches a year are considered normal? More than eight million Americans visit their doctor for complaints of headaches each year.

In today’s blog I want to breakdown the 3 most common causes of headaches and how you can treat it naturally without the use of medications.

1. Medication
2. Foods
3. Posture

If you suffer from headaches you’re not alone. Nine out of ten Americans suffer from headaches. Some are occasional, some frequent, some are dull and throbbing, and some cause debilitating pain and nausea.

 What do you do when you suffer from a pounding headache? Pop a pill and hope the pain goes away? Although medication is a popular treatment there are better more conservative alternatives.

1. Medication

Did you know that one of the top side effects of “headache” medications is headaches? Medication overuse headaches to rebound headaches are caused by regular or long-term use of headaches medication to treat different types of headaches, most commonly migraines. You may be someone who has been taking headache medication for a long-time now and find yourself still suffering from headaches.

2. Foods

There are several types of food that you may have in your diet that could be contributing to your headaches.

1. Caffeine
2. Artificial sweeteners
3. Alcohol
4. Chocolate
5. Foods containing MSG
6. Salty foods

3. Posture

Forward head posture is a common problem today. For each inch your neck bends over the neutral position of your spine it causes an extra 10 lbs of stress on your neck. Which means that eventually you could be adding an additional 60 lbs on our neck. As you can imagine this not ideal for the health of our spine! It can often times lead to trigger point pain which can especially manifest in the back of the neck and can refer pain into the head and shoulders. That referral of pain can lead to conditions such as tension headaches and migraines. Forward head posture can lead to much more than just muscle pain, including pain that stems from the joints, discs, nerve roots and other nearby structures.

How Chiropractic Care Can Help Treat and Manage Headaches

Some of the most effective treatments for headaches and migraines are unfortunately also the least used. Did you know that spinal manipulation therapy (chiropractic adjustment) administered by a licensed Chiropractor is one of the most effective and least invasive treatments for headaches?

Chiropractors can assess, diagnose, and treat headaches. They can also help decrease the intensity and frequency of migraines. Some of the treatment options may include:

1. Manual therapy
2. Soft tissue Therapy
3. Modalities
4. Rehabilitation
5. Lifestyle changes and education
6. Referral and co-management

It’s important to take headaches and migraines serious and consider visiting a Chiropractor if you often have headaches. You can also consult a Chiropractor if you are looking a more conservative and holistic approach to manage your headaches.